Maneuvering and operating of utility vehicles, such as excavators, snow groomers, forestry machines, cranes and construction machines, are often controlled by the operator via an operating lever device i.e. a joystick. Hydraulic systems were previously used but electronic control systems are becoming more common. Depending on type of utility vehicles the joystick needs to control several different operational commands i.e. functions. The first function of the joystick is commonly controlled by the movement of the lever arm of the joystick relative the base on which it is arranged. Other functions may be controlled by buttons or knobs arranged on the grip body of the joystick.
Currently, operators need to move several levers simultaneously in order to perform the movements for the utility vehicle. This requires moving the grip between different levers, i.e. joysticks and the results is lost productivity and less user friendliness. Hence, there is a need for a multifunctional joystick.
One multifunctional joystick is described in WO00/36250, controlling the operation of a snow groomer. The multifunction joystick is adapted to select specific functions of a work implements and apply the movements of the joystick to these specific functions. Moreover, the speed of the snow groomer is controlled by rotation of a knob, intended to be rotated by movement of the users thumb.
EP1462408B1 describes a joystick in which an operating member is arranged at the top of the grip body of the joystick. The operating member is preferably allowed to rotate around a central axis ax extending along a longitudinal direction of the grip body. Thereby, the operational member may be rotated and hence controlled by the users thumb or index finger. When controlling the rotatable operational member, the operator must loosen its grip of the grip body, either to control it with the thumb or with the index finger; the operator has thereby harder to control other functions of the joystick simultaneously. Further, the operator is subjected to additional movements in, the wrist, the arm and the shoulder, due to the repositioning of the hand in order to control the rotatable operational member.
A joystick having a rocker as an input for an additional control function is described in WO 98/53379.
The operator/user of such a utility vehicle is sometimes operating the vehicle for during of an entire work shift. Hence, the driver uses the joystick for an extensive period of time and the ergonomics and the user friendliness of the joystick and the easiness of command execution is thus of high importance, in order to assure that the operator is not subjected to wear damages. There is a desire of implementing more control functions in a joystick. The implementation of more controls functions conflicts with the intention of keeping the joystick ergonomic, due to the space requirements of the added control functions.